Together with ZF, Ibeo will make the next technological leap and a significant step for vehicle applications: The lidar generation developed in cooperation with ZF will reproduce a three-dimensional image of the environment without the rotating mirrors contained in current lidar systems. Thanks to solid state technology, lidar technology will become more compact and easier to integrate into the vehicle.

"Our central theme at ZF is "See - Think - Act" - a philosophy which highlights how we are equipping the vehicles of tomorrow with new senses and more intelligence. To achieve this, we are gradually filling in the remaining gaps in our technology portfolio," explains ZF CEO Sommer regarding ZF's participation in Ibeo. "With lidar technology and sensor fusion, we are able to strengthen the eyes and brain of future generations of vehicles and thus move a step closer to realizing the vision of accident-free driving."

Ibeo's roots date back to 1998. In the fast growing market of sensor systems and environmental recognition, the company expects to increase its workforce from around 50 to 250 employees in the medium term and also establish an Autonomous Driving Competence Center (AD-CC). The AD-CC will focus on the volume production and marketing of solutions for highly automated and autonomous driving.

"We are very much looking forward to cooperating with ZF. We now have a very strong partner which is progressively shaping the megatrends of safety, efficiency and autonomous driving," comments Ibeo's CEO, Dr. Ulrich Lages, on ZF's minority interest in the company. "With our comprehensive know-how, we can enable all driver assistance applications up to highly automated driving with 3-D lidar technology."
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